“Start-ups are all about hard work”

Dado Van Peteghem, Founding Partner of Duval Union Consulting and Co-Founder of SpeakersBase and Social Seeder, is one of the expert specialists on the Mediatech Accelerator programme.What are the most important things for every start-up to know?
• Just go for it! Be determined. I am a firm believer in the saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way!”.
• Don’t be afraid to adapt, and don’t get too stuck on your original idea.
• You don’t necessarily have to be in Silicon Valley to succeed.

Don’t get too stuck on your original idea.

The idea of a start-up might sound lovely, but in reality it often comes down to really hard work, and being prepared to make difficult decisions quickly.
Working together with Roularta’s professionals and expert mentors will help you to get all the pieces of your start-up puzzle to come together at the right moment.Why should start-ups sign up for the programme?
The programme offers start-ups a unique opportunity to share in Roularta and Duval Union’s combined expertise. Technology offers many new possibilities, but you also need to try to anticipate what’s going to catch on. Roularta’s professionals and expert mentors are joining forces to make the perfect business-model support team for start-ups. We can help them to get their product to market as quickly as possible, and to navigate the inevitable highs and lows that they will encounter on their journey.

We can help start-ups to get their product to market as quickly as possible

As an Accelerator mentor, what expertise do you bring to the programme?
I have the experience of successfully working on two start-ups of my own:
1) Social Seeder: a platform which allows organisations to encourage their employees or fans to spread messages via social media.
2) SpeakersBase a platform where speakers and organisers can connect with their audience.
I have also worked as a consultant, helping many start-ups to get going, as well as helping them to establish their go-to-market strategy.
We will be supporting Roularta throughout the programme and giving advice on digital transformation from an outsider’s perspective.What is the most important thing to do if you want to scale your start-up?
You should think carefully about the steps you need to take, and exactly when you should take them. You might think that to give your idea a better chance of success you have to head straight for Silicon Valley, but that’s not necessarily the first thing you need to do. First, you need to decide on the best location for the market launch of your product. Berlin, for example, is really hot at the moment for media innovation, so it might be a better choice of location for start-ups than Silicon Valley. Think carefully, and don’t just follow the preconceived ideas in your start-up handbook.